Renting Ginny

“Why would you want to bail me out of jail and help get me off the hook?” I asked Anina on the way back to her house. Anina seemed to be thinking carefully before she spoke. “Well, I guess because I feel guilty. I wasn’t very nice to you and now I would like a chance to make it up to you somehow.” “You can’t undo what’s already been done. You drugged me, slapped me, scared the living shit out of me, and then you held me hostage. I only agreed to go back with you because I need you to get me off come arraignment time.” “Oh, I’ll get you off.” I seriously hoped so. If the cops wouldn’t believe her when she insisted I hadn’t been breaking into her place, then how could I be sure the courts would? “And I didn’t hold you hostage,” said Anina. “Oh, you didn’t?” I said challengingly. “You didn’t swipe my cell phone and rig your garage doors? You didn’t hide the keys to your front and back doors? What, did you figure I wouldn’t bother to smash my way out? I don’t know how you managed to keep the windows from being opened, but when one has to smash their way out of someplace, then someone was obviously trying to keep them inside of it.” Keeping her eyes on the road, Anina smiled. “Do you think this is funny or something? You really have a warped sense of humor if you do.” “I don’t think it’s funny at all. I think you’re just very misinformed.” “About what?” I said, voice still thick with anger and challenge. “For one, I didn’t swipe your cell phone. You dropped it at one point, and you were asleep when I discovered it on the floor in the utility area. I threw it on the table and forgot to tell you about it.” “Then how come I didn’t notice it?” “I don’t know why you’re not very observant,” Anina said, still with the traces of amusement on her face. “As for the keys, I had made a mental note to leave them on the counter in case you wanted to go out for a walk or for a swim, but I totally forgot. Like I said, something came up and I had to get to the office early. Nonetheless, the keys are usually kept in one of the kitchen drawers.” “That’s impossible! I searched every single one of those drawers in the kitchen. Why are you lying to me?” “I’m not lying to you, Ginny,” Anina said, glancing at me with what was now a note of irritation. She seemed to want to drop it, but I wasn’t through grilling her yet. “I couldn’t lift the garage door and the door in the back was stuck and made of Plexiglas.” “I didn’t design the place, so I can’t explain the back door. All I can say is that I’ve had a problem with it jamming before. As for the garage door, it’s electric, so it’s not meant to be opened manually unless the control is deactivated.” I sat in silence and just stared straight ahead, not sure what to think or believe. I figured I would either have fun after all with the gorgeous woman beside me or I would come to find I’d made the biggest mistake of my life by agreeing to return to her home. I thought of all those who warned me against joining the escort service in the first place. “You never know whose house you’re really entering,” they would tell me. We pulled into her driveway as the late afternoon began to cast long shadows across the ground. I noticed the window I’d smashed had been fixed. I began to feel a little anxious. Especially after the car pulled into the garage and the garage door hummed shut behind us, enclosing us in the echoing, tomb-like room. I stepped out of the car. Now she had me alone to do as she pleased with and personally, I didn’t see any way I could stop her. The woman had about five inches and thirty pounds on me. “You coming?” Anina said, sensing my hesitancy as she held open the door to the house for me. I plunged through the doorway, knowing that fate would either look out for me or it would see to it that I regretted my decision. “Just make yourself comfortable,” she said, placing her messenger bag on the kitchen table. “I haven’t showered yet. I think I’ll go do that after I call my folks and a couple of friends to let them know what’s going on.” A flash of concern crossed her eyes. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you. Oh, you’re welcome to call them, but I don’t think it would be very wise to let them know you’ve been arrested.” “Why not?” “Well, because they might not only want to hire a lawyer of their own choosing for you, but that’s how rumors get started.” I frowned, not understanding her point. “So? What would be wrong with them hiring a lawyer for me, and why would my own parents start rumors?” “It’s not so much that they themselves would start rumors, but if they mentioned it to others, those other people may unknowingly start rumors by mentioning it to people they know without meaning you any harm to begin with or realizing the negative effect it could have on your case despite my connections.” I was getting more confused by the minute. “Connections? What are you talking about?” “I have a very good friend who’s a criminal attorney. I have no doubt in my mind that he’ll get your case dismissed altogether. But the fewer people who know about it, the better. You see, if people even suspect that I’m having my friend do me any favors by helping you out, it could totally ruin the case. All it takes is the slightest rumor, even if it’s with good intentions, to make him appear corrupt or coerced in a way that could really sink your case.” I took some time to think about what she said, yet still wasn’t sure I was understanding her point or that I should even trust anything she said. “So, you don’t think I should tell anyone about it at all?” “I wouldn’t.” “But when are we going to court?” “The wheels of justice often turn slowly, as they say. It probably won’t be for a few months. They’ll be mailing a summons to appear in court at which time the date will be posted on it.” “But then my parents will know what’s going on. In jail, when they had me fill out forms, I gave them their address. My mail still gets sent to their place since I don’t have a place of my own at the moment. When I’m not with them, I’m either at Emmy’s place or with a client.” “Relax,” Anina said with an assuring smile. “Everything’s fine. I asked that they send the summons to your place of work.” “Oh, great. So now Emmy can think I broke into a client’s house, is that it?” “No, silly,” Anina said with a smile. “It’s not like they write on the outside of the envelope what it’s all about.” “But it will have the court’s address on it.” “Honey, people get mail from the courts for many different reasons. Trust me, no one will know unless you tell them. I couldn’t have them send it here, so I asked that they send it there instead. Emmy’s not likely to care who sent it but wouldn’t your parents be curious?” “Yeah, they would be. I just don’t get how you could get the courts to send the damn thing to a place of your own choosing without verifying it with me first. “Well, because I’m the supposed victim in the case is why I could have some say in the matter. You know, the state’s witness. The courts have no reason not to assume that you’ll still be working at the same place within the next week or so and that’s why I had them send it there instead of to the address that was on your ID.” Shit!She knew where I lived! “I thought you said it would take months.” “It probably will. But they usually send the summons with the court date right away. Now,” she said, clapping her hands together, “why don’t we chat about more pleasant things like what we want to do this evening? After your shower and your phone calls, how about we cook something nice together and then just relax with a good movie and some fun after the rough day we’ve had?” Hesitantly, I said, “Well, as long as that fun is drug-free along with the food – yeah – I guess I’m okay with those plans.” Deciding to shower before I made my calls, I enjoyed the feeling of the hot water cascading down my body and the scented shower gel Anina provided me with. After the jail grime was washed away, I wrapped my hair in one towel while I wrapped another towel around my body. I then headed into the master bedroom, where Anina had replaced my bags on her dresser and pulled on a pair of shorts and a T-shirt. Then I pulled my phone out of my purse. It was dead. I’d totally forgotten to bring my charger with me.